NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 263: The New and the Old
Chapter 263: The New and the Old
After that, the wedding proceeded without a hitch.
After the ceremonial bows, Xu Lian escorted the princess and Ling Ran to their bridal chamber before stepping out to toast the guests. After a brief round of drinks, he prepared to “hit the hay” – after all, the guests outside were being attended to by the Marquis of Yong’an.
When he reached the doors of the two bridal chambers, he hesitated, unsure which one to enter first. An elderly maid subtly nodded in the direction of the princess’s chamber. Xu Lian understood: the princess, being royalty, deserved priority.
Thus, he visited the princess first. Only after midnight did he go to Ling Ran’s chamber.
The next day, Xu Lian fell into deep contemplation when he realized that the “levels of affection” were absent.
Just as I predicted, this world and its people are illusions. The lack of affection meters proves it. If this were real, how could the affection levels of the princess and Ling Ran not be displayed? It’s impossible for both of them to be below 50. Even if the princess’ was low, Ling Ran’s couldn’t be. After all, I’m her obsession. Her affection should be sky high.
He looked at the now awake Ling Ran and struggled to tell the truth. Yet, he realized upon reflection: What’s real or illusory matters little to her. To her, this world is reality.
“Husband, I must return to the Holy Land to cultivate,” Ling Ran said with a beaming smile. Her wish was fulfilled-she had married the heir of the Marquis of Yong’an, resolving her mortal obsessions. Now, she could wholly focus on her cultivation.
Xu Lian’s gaze darkened. He knew that she saw him as a tool to sever her earthly ties. Yet she remained unaware that she, too, was a tool – a pawn for “outsiders” to temper themselves in this illusory realm.
“Stay a few more days,” he urged, pulling her close. “Completely eradicate your remaining attachments, lest they grow again.”
Ling Ran paused, then leaned into his shoulder. “Very well. Three days.”
For those three days, Xu Lian accompanied Ling Ran, letting her live as the young madam of the Manor of Yong’an to eradicate her obsessions. The princess, always gracious, did not compete for attention. She understood that Ling Ran would soon depart for the Holy Land, leaving her as the manor’s sole mistress.
On the third day, Xu Lian and the princess said goodbye to Ling Ran.
The princess, her beauty softened by sincerity, clasped Ling Ran’s hands. “Sister, visit often. Yong’an Manor will always be your home.”
“I won’t return,” Ling Ran replied firmly. She placed the princess’s hand in Xu Lian’s. “May you grow old together. Pretend I was never here.”
Without looking back, she left.
The princess gently squeezed Xu Lian’s hand. “If you miss her, you could visit the Holy Land someday.”
Xu Lian saw through her subtle probing. He drew her into his arms. “Ling Ran is a cultivator with thousands of years ahead of her. I’m a mortal – a fleeting shadow in her eternal life. She belongs to the cultivation world, and I belong to the mortal world. We were never meant to walk the same path.”
The princess beamed and looked at him tenderly. “Then I’ll grow old with you, husband.”
Xu Lian playfully tweaked her nose. “You’re mortal too. We’re a perfect couple.”
Hand in hand, they returned to the mansion. The Marquis of Yong’an and his wife, overjoyed to see their heir wed, smiled daily as if their greatest wish had been fulfilled.
Life unfolded like a fairy tale. Months later, the princess became pregnant, bringing joy to the estate. The Prince of Hui’s household sent mountains of nourishing gifts.
A year later, she bore a healthy son, expanding the household to five. Another year brought a daughter, completing Xu Lian’s illusory family.
As the grandchildren grew up and married, the Marquis of Yong’an and his wife aged. Xu Lian grew somber while the elderly couple comforted him: “Everyone must face the passage of time. We’ve lived without regrets.”
Xu Lian acquiesced, refusing to trade his “memories” to extend their life span. Time in this world passes too quickly. Even if I prolong their lives, eternity is out of reach. Parting is inevitable.
At the age of fifty, Xu Lian mourned the death of the Marquis of Yong’an.
From the Holy Land, Liu Qing, A-Xian, and Wang Heng returned – they were still youthful, and their cultivation had reached the Great Adept realm. They had torn through space itself to attend the funeral.
Their prodigious talent, bought with “memories,” had propelled them to such heights in mere decades. Having left for the Holy Land as infants, they felt little connection to the mortal family. Their attendance was a perfunctory gesture to preserve their saintly reputation.
After the rites, they invited Xu Lian to the Holy Land. He declined, still unwilling to trade memories for cultivation talents-unless death was imminent.
Xu Lian inherited the title of Yong’an and entered the court. Years later, the emperor “ascended to heaven” and the crown prince took the throne.
Yet power corrupts. The once diligent prince, now emperor, indulged in decadence and neglected governance until rebellions broke out. The Empire, backed by the Holy Land, crushed the unrest.
Two years later, the emperor’s body failed, ravaged by excess. His son succeeded him, only to repeat the cycle of debauchery. The throne seemed cursed.
When an eight-year-old boy became emperor, rule fell to the Empress Dowager, who appointed the Prince of Hui as regent, assisted by the new Duke of Wuling and Xu Lian, Marquis of Yong’an.